Switching mechanism for lamp sockets



W. B. GODDARD SWITCHING MECHANISM FOR LAMP SOCKETS Iuly 7, 1925.

Filed March 10, 1921 NSULATION Patented July 7, 1925.

UNITED srA'ras PATENT oer-10s.,

'WILFRED IB. GODDARD, OF "PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA.

swrrcmne nncmmsu non LAMP socxa'rs.

Application filed larch 10, 1921. Serial 1T0. 451,829.

To all whom it inay concern Be it known that I, WILFRED B. GODDARD,-

a citizen of the United States, residi at Palo Alto, inthe county of Santa am and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Switching Mechanism for Lamp Sockets, of which the following is a specification.

' The invention relates to improvements in electrical lamp sockets, and more articularly to a type of the same invo ving a switching -mechanismfor controlling the lighting of the lamp carried by the lamp socket.

The primary object of the invention is to provide for a constructionof the char-- acter mentioned and one of an extremely simplified form and arrangement of-parts as togr'eatly' facilitate the connecting of the lamp socket onto an electrical circuit, and to otherwise reduceto a minimum the time required for such purpose. 4s

Another object of the invention ;is to provide for a comparatively inexpensive construction of the type set forth, and one in' which the electrical current conducting parts of the lamp socket and the switching mechanism, in its entirety, may be readily and quickly assembled, positioned within the socket, or removed therefrom, as the case -ma'y be, without the usual trouble obtaining in the ordinary or knowntypes of the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide for a device of the class described, and one in which the several electrical conducting parts of the lamp socket and the conducting, as well as the non-conducting arts of the switching mechanism, may I independently removed from position within the lamp socket for the purpose of replacing the same have been damaged, or otherwise unfitfor further use.

Astill further object of the invention is to provide a lamp socket construction of the kind-specified, and'one wherein a pull chain switch operating means may be substituted in lieu of the push button type of such operating means, or vice versa, without any change -or modification whatever in the interior construction thereof, thus adapting the socket touniversaluse, and rendering it unnecessary to manufacture several forms of sockets one for each form of operating With the foregoing and.v other objects in the parts when desired, as when.

'curely retain the sections Figure 2 is a plan view of one section or partof the lamp socket with certain of its parts in cross-section, and showing the manner of arrangement of all of the parts thereof and of the switching mechanism therein, Figure 3 is an edge view of the ratchet contact wheel of the switching mechanism, Figure 4is a detail view of the pawl and ratchet mechanism in one position of its operation,

Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 4 showing the pawl and ratchet mechanism in another position of its operation,

Figure 6 is a detail view of a modified form of operating means for the pawl and ratchet mechanism, and Figure 7 is a detail section on the line 77 of Figure 1. v

Referring-to the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views thereof, the numerals 10 and 11 india as porcelain or the like. Each section has its opposed flat face formed with lower semi-circular'fihreaded lportions and upper recessed portions. for t e reception of the current conducting metallic parts and the partscof the. switch mechanism to be enclosed between the sections, assembled. The two sections 10 and 11 provide a substantially cylindrical body, when assembled, and havetheir upper ends rounded oil, in the manner of and after the general form of ordinary types of lamp sockets. Extendin vertically and medially of the outer sur aces of the sections 10 and 11 are ooves which are adapted to receive the egs 13 of a substantially inverted U-sha (1 member 12, the same being made prefera 1y of spring metal of 'sufliclent resiliency to y engage in, the grooves and to se '10 and 11 tother, and against all possible separation uring the ordinary use of the lamp socket.

snug

when properly The grooves of the sections 10 and 11 terminate at opposite sides of a circular opening 14, formed at the rounded end portions of the sections, and which communicates vwith the interior of the upper recessed portions of the latter, and also registers with-a corresponding opening formed in the connected portion of the U-shaped section clamping portions of the sections 10 and 11 form a circular socket for the reception of the threaded lamp base, and current is transmitted to such lamp base through the medium of the spring contact fingers or arms 16 and 17, the finger or arm 16 lying in an annular groove formed in the wall of one of the sections and connecting with a vertically extending portion 18 which lies in a vertically extending groove in the wall of the section and projects into the recessed portion of the socket while the finger or arm 17 is disposed media 1y of the upper end of the circular socket opening and has an upwardly extending portion 19 projecting into the upper recessed portion' of the lamp socket. When a lamp base is screwed into the circular opening, the spring contact arm 16 will be engaged by the threaded metallic shell of the base and the spring contact arm 17 by the metallic end terminal of the latter, as usual.

The switching mechanism comprises a ratchet wheel 20, of an insulating material such as porcelain, having a toothed periphery 21, and a hub portion 22 extending to one side and having its outer face provided with a series of teeth 23, four of the latter being shown in the present instance. As shown, all of the teeth 23 are provided with metallic facings 24 each unconnected electrically one from the other. The ratchet wheel is provided with trunnions 25 by means of which the same is journaled in suitable aligning recesses in the opposed faces of thesections 10 and 11 of the lamp socket. Associated with the arm 18 ofthe spring contact 16 is a spring contact finger 26, which extends transversely of the socket and has its free end contacting the toothed surface of the hub portion of the ratchet wheel 20, and extending parallel to this finger 26, is a second spring finger 27, havmg its free end also contacting the toothed surface of the hub portion of the ratchet wheel 20. The spring contact finger 27 has its fixed end formed with or otherwise secured to acontact strip 28 which, in turn,

is secured in a groove or recess formed in the wall of one of the sections 10 and 11, and with its binding post 29, forms one of the terminals of the circuit to which the lamp socket may be attached. The arm 19 of the contact arm or finger 17 is alsoprovided with a binding post 30 and forms the other terminal of the circuit to which the lamp socket may be attached, a two conductor lead (not shown) being passed into the opening 14 of the lamp socket, and having its conductors connecting the binding posts 29 and 30 for the purpose of introducing current to the parts indicated as conducting elements leading to and contacting the lamp base, when the same is threaded into the circular opening or socket.

For manipulating the ratchet wheel 20, a spring pawl 31, is provided, and, as shown, comprises a length of spring metalbent upon itself and having its lower portion bent to form a pawl tooth 32, which is of a shape to engage the teeth 21 of the ratchet wheel 20, in one direction of its movement and to ride over the teeth 21 in the other direction of its movement.

In the preferred form of the device, the pawl 31 projects inwardly from the end of an operating rod 33 which is slidably mounted in an opening formed in the end wall of an outwardly extending flared guide 34. This guide 34 is supported, in line with a channel 35 formed between the two sections 10 and 11 of the lam socket, from an arm 36 curving downwardly over the line of connection between the sections 10 and 11, from the medial point of the clamping member 12 with which it is formed or attached. The guide 34 is preferably in the form of an outwardly flared-tube, and has its inner end threaded into a threaded opening formed in the dependingarm-36. Supported on the rod 33 is a coiled spring 37 which has one end abutting the inner end of the guide 34 and the other end abutting an angular shoulder 38 formed at the point of connection of the pawl 31 with the rod 33. For actuating the pawl 31 to impart rotary movement to the ratchet wheel 20, a pull chain 39 is attached to the outer end of the rod 33 and depends from the flared end of the guide 34. A spring finger 40 is secured between the sections 10 and 11 of the lamp socket and has its free end in the path of the teeth 21 of the ratchet wheel 20, and in a direction to allow the rotation of the latter only in the direction of the pull of the pawl through the medium of its operating rod and chain, the spring 37 being arranged to sponding grooves, channels and recesses engaging over the projecting portions of the parts of the conducting and contacting members and switch mechanism, and the clamping member 12 snapped intothe grooves formed in the outer'faces of the sections 10 and 11, the" same having been threaded onto the lead before the connecting of the conductors thereof with the binding posts 29 and 30, as aforesaid. The socket is now ready for the screwing of a lam (not shown) into the socket proper. Wit both of the contact fingers 26 and 27 engaged on a single metallic face 24 of one of the teeth 23, current will flow from binding post 29, strip 28, contactjfinge r 27 metallic face 24 engaged by contact fingers 26 and 27, contact finger 26, conductor 18, spring contact 16, the lamp base (not shown) the spring contact 17, the arm 19 to the binding post 30.

In the manipulation. of the switch. mechanism, and with both contact fingers 26 and 27 separated by therise of one of the teeth 23 of the ratchet wheel 20, current is off from the socket and lamp. The first. pull on the chain 39 moves the pawl tooth 32 and one tooth 21, of the ratchet wheel 20 forward, tensioning the spring 37 which returns the pawl freely over and intoengagement with the next succeeding tooth 21, the spring pawl or dog acting to prevent the rotation of the ratchet wheel .20 backwardly with the return movement ofthe pawl 31. If the contact-finger 27 is on one tooth and the contact fingers 26 is on another tooth, the circuit to theslamp is broken, and the movement of the ratchet the distance of one of; the teeth 21 will bring both of the fingers- 26 and 27 onto one tooth 23 and its face plate 24, and a subsequent pull on the chain will movethe ratchet wheel 20 another tooth length 21, and the circuit will be again broken by reason of the spring arm 26 dropping onto. a succeedingtooth 23 and its face or contact plate 24, while the finger 27 will only move to the higher part of the tooth on which both fingers previously rested for the completion of the circuit. Consequently, during one revolution of theratchet wheel 20, the circuit will be completed and broken four times each.

In the modified form of operating 'means' as shown in Figure 6, in lieu of the pull chain 39 of the preferred form of the invention, a push button 41 is formed at the outer projecting end of the operating rod 42, an in lieu'of the coiled s ring 37, a

coiled spring 43 is interposed etween the push button 41 and the inner end of the guide tube 34, so that its action is reversed to that'of the sprin 37 in that the pawl 32 is held in its'forward or inoperative position,iand the spring 43' is compressed by a push on the button 41 and the pawl 32 moved rearwardly to operative position, where it engages the nearest tooth 21 and under expansion of the spring 43.- rotates the ratchet wheel 20 in the same direction as in the direct pull of the chain 39 in the first instance. a

It is to be noted of the socket construction rovided for herein, that the same is readi y adapt-able for universal use, i. e., either as a keyless socket, as by dispensing with both the pull chain and push button switch operating means, and turning the switch to on position; as a pull" chain switch operating type; and as a push button type; the pull chain means and the push button means being interchangeable one with the other without any change in the construction of the socket or modification of the partsthereof, the same being accomplished by simply unscrewing the flared guide'34, in either instance, and withdrawing the s ring pawl through the .channel 35, and the opening of the said flared guide.

From the foregoing, it will be readil obvious that the invention provides for a amp socket of a longitudinally split form such as admits of the quick assembling of the parts of the switch mechanism, the conductors and contacts, etc., tog ther and in operative osition on one o 'the sec'tions thereof; 0 connecting the lamp socket section onto at the inner end extreme case and rapidity in the terminals of the circuit; 1 and of the socket, all of which tends to greatly lessen the time required in the matter of installa- I tion of lighting systems; and consequently effects a marked saving in expensesbr cost of such installation. ThlS construction and arrangement" of-parts also admits of the same being replaced when damaged or worn out without necessitating the replacemerit of the lampsocket as a whole, It is well understood that various changes in detail of construction, form and arrangement of the several parts may be resortedto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, claim:- 1. In an electric switch, a pair of con tact terminals for engagement with lamp contacts, a ratchet wheel of insulation materialhaving peripheral feed teeth and also having a series of ratchet-tooth-shaped conducting surfaces, a pair of spaced contacts for cooperation with the said conducting surfaces of the ratchet wheel, one of said spaced contacts being connected with one of said lamp terminal contacts and the other of said spaced contacts being adapted for connect-ion with a line conductor, said spaced contacts being so arranged with relation to each other and to the conducting surfaces of the ratchet wheel as to simultaneously engage one conducting surface of teeth of the ratchet wheel on one period of movement of said wheel and to separately engage adjacent conducting surfaces of teeth of the ratchet wheel on the next periodic movement of said wheel, and so on alternately throughout the series of conducting surfaces in the revolution of the 'wheel, and means for intermittently actuating the ratchet wheel.

2. In an electric switch, a pair of contact terminals for engagement with the terminals of a lamp base, a ratchet wheel formed of insulation material and having -peripheral teeth and also having a series of conducting surfaces, a pair of spaced contacts for cooperation with the conducting surfaces of the ratchet wheel, one of said spaced contacts being connected with one of said lamp terminal contacts and the other of said spaced contacts adapted for connection with a line conductor, said contacts being so spaced as to alternately engage the same and different conducting surfaces of the teeth of the ratchet wheel on successive periodic motions of the latter, means engageable with the feed teeth of the ratchet wheel for transmitting working motion to the ratchet wheel for successive current making and breaking actions, and means for holding said ratchet wheel against retrograde rotation.

3. In an electric switch, a pair of lamp terminal contacts, a ratchet wheel formed of insulation material and having peripheral feed teeth and also having a series of conducting surfaces, a pair of spaced contacts for cooperation with the teeth conducting surfaces of the ratchet wheel, one of said spaced contacts being connected with one of said lamp terminal contacts and the other of said spaced contacts being adapted for connection with a line conductor, said contacts being arranged to alternately engagethe same and different conducting surfaces of the teeth of the ratchet wheel on successive movements of said wheel, a longitudinally movable pawl engageable with the feed teeth for turning the ratchet wheel a distance of one tooth on each working motion thereof, means for manually moving said pawl in one direction, and means for automatically moving the pawl in the reverse direction. I

4. In an electric switch, a pair of lamp teeth for imparting terminal contacts, a ratchet wheel formed of insulation material and having a series of peripheral feed teeth and a series of ratchetshaped contact members on one side thereof, said contact members being provided with conductirg surfaces, a pair of spaced contacts for cooperation with the conducting surfaces of the ratchet wheel, one of said spaced contacts being connected with one of said'lamp terminal contacts and the other of said spaced contacts being adapted for connection with a line conductor, said spaced contacts being arranged to simultaneously and separately engage the same and adjacent conducting surfaces of the ratchet wheel on successive periodic motions of said wheel to alternately make and break a circuit, and

means for engagement with the peripheral teeth of the ratchet wheel for transmitting periodic movements thereto.

5: In an electric switch, a rotary switch member having peripheral ratchet feed teeth and having upon one of its lateral faces a series of relatively electric insulated conducting surfaces, means engageable with the pe ripheralteeth of the ratchet wheel for turning said wheel a distance of a feed tooth on each motion thereof, and a pair of spaced contacts for cooperation with the lateral conducting surfaces of the ratchet wheel, said teeth being arranged to simultaneously engage a circuit conducting surface on a determined movement of the ratchet wheel and to engage different lateral conducting surfaces on the next movement of the ratchet wheel, and to operate alternately in this manner for circuit make and break action in the rotation of the ratchet wheel.

6.- Inan electric switch, a ratchet wheel having peripheral feed teeth and ratchetshaped conducting surfaces on one of its sides, said surfaces being electrically insulated fromv each other, a reciprocablepawl for engagement with the peripheral ratchet intermittent feed motion to said ratchetw eel, and spaced contacts forming part of an electric circuit for cooperation with thelateral conducting surfaces of the ratchet wheel, said contacts being arranged to alternately engage the same and adjacent conducting surfaces of the ratchet wheel on successive intermittent motions of the latter,

7 In an electric switch, a casing comprising two longitudinally separable sections and having atone end an opening for passage of a lead thereinto and formed at diametrically opposite sides thereof with'longitudinal groovesand lockingkrecesses, switch mechanism carried by said casing, and a spring fastener for holding the casing sections assembled, said fastener having a head portion to engage said end of the casing and provided with an opening 'registerln with the lead opening therein, and provide with resilient arms fitting in said grooves and having locking PI'OJ'GCtlODS to engage the locking recesses.

8. In an electric switch, a casing comprising a pair of separable sections and having\ at one end an openin for entrance of a lead and in one of its si es an opening for passage of a switch actuating device, said casing sections being also provided at diametrically opposite sides with longitudinal grooves and locking recesses, switch mechanism in said casing, an actuating device for said switch mechanism including a part extending externall through said side opening in the casing, an a spring fastener for holding the casing sections assembled, said fastener having a head portion to embrace the said end of the casing and formed with an opening to register with the lead opening therein, and provided with resilient arms to engage the said longitudinal grooves and spring tongues carried by said arms to interlock with said locking recesses.

9. In an electric switch, a casing comprising two longitudinally separable sections and having at one end a lead opening and in one side an opening for passage of a part of a switch mechanism actuating device, said casing sections being also provided at opposite sides with longitudinal grooves and locking recesses, switch mechanism within said casing, a spring fastener for holding the casing sections assembled, said fastener comprisin .a head portion to enga e the aforementioned end of the casing and having an opening to register with the lead opening therein and provided with sprin arms for enga ement with said grooves, an said arms having locking tongues to engage the lockin recesses, and said fastener hav ing a thir arm provided with an opening registering with the side opening in the easing, a guide engaging said opening in said third arm, and a switch actuating device in the casing having a part extending through said guide.

10. In an electric switch, a two-part longitudinally separable casing, said casing having an end opening for passage of a lead and a side opening, and formed in its sides with longitudinal grooves and locking recesses intersecting said grooves, a spring fastener having a head portion engaging said end of the casing and provided with an opening registering with the lead opening therein, and having spring arms engaging said 1ongitudinal grooves and provided with tongues to interlock with the locking recesses, said fastener also having a thlrd arm overlying the side opening in the casing and provided with an opening registering therewith, a guide detachably fitted in the opening in said third arm, switch mechanism within the casing, and a switch actuating device having a part movable through said guide, said actuating device being adapted for removal as a whole through the opening in the side arm when said guide is detached from said opening.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILFRED B. GODDARD. 

